Long COVID symptom: When to see a doctor for extreme tiredness and fatigue

The recovery period for long COVID is different for everybody. Your chances of having long-term coronavirus symptoms are also not linked to how severe your infection was in the first place as researchers have found that several people who experienced mild symptoms initially are also struggling with long-term problems.

There are several long-term symptoms which people can get after COVID, with one of the most common symptoms being extreme tiredness, also known as fatigue.

Many people feel fatigue after exercise or after a long period of concentration. However, sometimes fatigue can be felt in a way that does not seem normal. Despite resting and a good sleep, long COVID related fatigue can occur after minimal effort every now and then. It can leave you feeling dull and having difficulty in concentrating and recalling memories. You may feel fatigued after activities which were not exhausting and this can affect your ability to function as smoothly as you did previously. This also usually occurs at the end of the day.

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Fatigue is common after viral infections such as COVID and normally settles after two or three weeks of infection.

You should talk to your doctor if your fatigue is getting worse rather than better or is unchanged even after four weeks. It is also important to consult your doctor if you experience any other long COVID related symptoms. Alongside increased fatigue, people sometimes experience a number of other symptoms which can worsen after physical stress. This includes brain fog, muscle aches or headaches. Clinicians call these post exertional symptoms. These are not dangerous per se but can affect your quality of life and everyday activities.

In case you are experiencing fatigue due to some other condition, your doctor can help identify the cause behind your tiredness. Many people who have recovered from coronavirus can later develop chronic fatigue syndrome.

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Chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex disorder and a long-term illness which is characterised by extreme fatigue that worsens with physical or mental activity, but does not improve with rest. Chronic fatigue syndrome is often triggered by an acute infection such as COVID-19 and comes with a wide range of symptoms that can significantly impact your daily activities. The severity of the symptoms can vary from day to day, or even during a day. This illness can even affect children. The most common symptom of this syndrome is feeling extreme tiredness. According to NHS UK, chronic fatigue syndrome is more common in women and tends to develop between the age group of mid-20s and mid-40s.